Controversial Officiating in Lakers vs. Spurs Makes NBA History

The officiating during Wednesday night’s matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs didn’t just frustrate players and coaches — it even drew irritation from broadcasters and analysts. The constant stoppages turned the game into a slow and disjointed affair, one that ultimately entered the NBA record books for all the wrong reasons.

Excessive Whistles Halt the Game’s Rhythm

Throughout the night at Crypto.com Arena, officials called 66 total fouls, including a technical foul on Marcus Smart for arguing a call. This meant the 48-minute contest was interrupted repeatedly — kills to momentum, pacing, and flow.

Those 66 fouls resulted in a staggering 84 free-throw attempts:

TeamFree Throws Attempted Percentage Spurs 4077.5% Lakers4477.3%

This stands as the second-highest number of free throws in a single game in NBA history.

Foul Trouble Leads to Multiple Ejections

The whistle-heavy officiating also had major consequences for player availability in crunch time.

The Spurs saw three players foul out in the fourth quarter:

• Jeremy Sochan
• Harrison Barnes
• Victor Wembanyama

Wembanyama’s exit sparked noticeable celebration from the Lakers’ bench, as his defensive presence had caused issues all night.

On the Lakers’ side, the stars had to play cautiously down the stretch:

PlayerPersonal FoulsLuka Doncic5 fouls (played entire 4th)Marcus Smart5 foulsJake LaRavia5 fouls

Despite the chaos, Los Angeles maintained composure and escaped with the win — but frustrations over the officiating were widespread and well-documented.